Expanded military personnel for the Bundeswehr, yet its capacity within the organization remains constrained.
Sharing the German Armed Forces' Woes
- WhatsApp that Platoon Shortage
- Facebook the Battalion Boost
- SMS X the Enlistment Expansion
- Email the Military's call to arms
The ongoing debate regarding the need for additional personnel in the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) includes discussing the reinstatement of conscription, but barracks in Baden-Württemberg are currently full.
- How full are the barracks, really?
- The Bundeswehr's blueprint for a troop surge
- Calculating the cash needed for Baden-Württemberg
- The conscription conundrum and BW barracks
- An old dog, new tricks? Reactivating old BW barracks
In 2024, approximately 18,000 individuals worked in Bundeswehr units based in Baden-Württemberg. With the demand for up to 60,000 more soldiers as stated by Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD), this number might surge significantly.
At the same time, Pistorius acknowledges that the current debate on conscription is futile due to the lack of capacity for accommodation. The situation in Baden-Württemberg also suggests that a rapid increase in troop size could cause issues.
The Real Deal: BW Barracks' Capacity
The Bundeswehr maintains 161 properties in Baden-Württemberg, including barracks, training areas, individual buildings, and a military hospital in Ulm. However, barracks are already fully occupied, the Federal Office for Infrastructure, Environmental Protection, and Services of the Bundeswehr's spokesperson confirmed.
This lack of accommodation has practical implications for soldiers' daily lives. For instance, the former Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces, Eva Högl (SPD), lamented in her annual report about inadequate accommodation at the Rommel Barracks in Dornstadt (Alb-Donau district). Older soldiers frequently struggle to find a place to stay in the barracks because they no longer have automatic access to a room. High rental costs in the surrounding area force some soldiers to reside in hotels.
The Bundeswehr's Game Plan: Increasing Capacity
If more capacity is needed, the Bundeswehr is pursuing a two-pronged strategy, according to the spokesperson for the Bundeswehr's infrastructure office. First and foremost, existing buildings will be utilized more intensively, although the exact meaning remains unclear. Second, in cases of rapid troop growth, quickly deployable, "modular infrastructure" will help accommodate more soldiers. This consists of constructing additional accommodation using prefabricated segments, a method the Bundeswehr has already tested successfully, such as expanding the Knuell Barracks in Schwarzenborn (Hesse) in just 20 months.
Crunching the Numbers: Investments in Baden-Württemberg
The Federal Commissioner for the Armed Forces' annual report paints a dire picture of the state of military barracks nationwide. The condition is reportedly "partly disastrous," with a projected investment need of 67 billion euros. Although barracks in Baden-Württemberg are not mentioned as problematic examples, substantial funds are set aside there for new, renovation, and expansion projects. The Federal Infrastructure Office plans to invest 2.6 billion euros in such projects from 2025 to 2031, with the Graf-Zeppelin barracks in Althengstett (Calw district) earmarked for a 200 million euro overhaul.
The Legacy of Conscription: BW Barracks' Space Crunch
The space problems in the German Armed Forces have persisted due to the closure of large bases after the suspension of conscription in 2011. For example, the Graf-Stauffenberg barracks in Sigmaringen (Sigmaringen district), once housing up to 2,000 to 3,000 soldiers and civilian employees, was shuttered. Other large barracks, such as those in Hohentengen (Sigmaringen district), Immendingen (Tuttlingen district), and Hardheim (Neckar-Odenwald district), were also closed. Additionally, the number of positions at bases such as Ulm, Stuttgart, and Karlsruhe was reduced.
Awakening the Sleeping Giant: Could Old Barracks in BW Return?
Former military properties are not abandoned but are repurposed for various uses today. For instance, the closed barracks' training area in Immendingen was converted by automaker Mercedes-Benz in 2014 into a testing and technology center. It should be carefully evaluated on a case-by-case basis if necessary whether such properties could be used militarily again. "In addition to current uses and existing contractual commitments, structural condition and other factors must also be considered," the Federal Infrastructure Office's spokesperson said.
- Overcrowded barracks remain a concern In light of the Bundeswehr's need to accommodate an increased force, the current capacity issue at the Baden-Württemberg barracks becomes essential to address.
- A repurpose and rebuild strategy for BW barracks As the Bundeswehr aims to increase capacity, considering the reactivation and refurbishment of former military properties could offer potential solutions to the barracks' space crunch.
